


Sparkling Eyes and Cigarette Burns

by inkandpaperqwerty



Series: Bright Smiles and Bloody Lips [23]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Apocalypse, Big Brother Dean Winchester, Broadway, Broadway References, Caring Castiel (Supernatural), Caring Dean Winchester, Caring Sam Winchester, Demons, Family, Family Fluff, Gen, Guilty Castiel (Supernatural), Guilty Sam Winchester, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Parental Sam Winchester, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Season/Series 05, Vodka Uncle Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:48:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25713070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkandpaperqwerty/pseuds/inkandpaperqwerty
Summary: "Dean expected Sam to find a way to cope after he was dragged to Hell. He thought Sam would go back to Stanford, or maybe stick with Bobby and keep living up to the Winchester name. By no means did he, even for a moment, think Sam might look to parenting as a coping mechanism."The Apocalypse is on and the Winchesters are running from angels and demons alike. They're gonna do everything they can to keep themselves from being used as vessels, but hiding from the forces of Heaven and Hell isn't as easy as one might think. Not to mention, they're running from Heaven while trying to raise a twelve-year-old boy in a semi-normal environment.Who are they kidding? They're Winchesters. Normal's got nothing to do with it.
Relationships: Dean Winchester & Original Character(s), Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Sam Winchester & Original Character(s)
Series: Bright Smiles and Bloody Lips [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1121460
Comments: 14
Kudos: 40





	1. Episode 1: Sympathy for the Devil

“He finally passed out about two hours ago.”

Sam stepped into Bobby’s library and felt a huge weight come down on his shoulders. Just seeing Liam, wrapped up in a blanket and sleeping on the couch, was enough to send a huge wave of guilt crashing over him. He had made Liam worry. Again.

“Sam, you need to get some rest.”

Sam didn’t need Dean to tell him that. It had taken them roughly twenty hours to drive from Ilchester, Maryland to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Sam had spent the majority of the trip in the throes of withdrawals. Between the searing pain in his stomach and the vivid hallucinations, Sam was running on empty.

“Sam, he’ll be fine.” Dean put his hand on Sam’s shoulder and gave it a shove. “You need to get some sleep. You’re no good to him—or anyone—when you’re like this.”

Sam heaved a sigh and nodded his head. “I know, I know, I just…” He looked at Liam, all curled up and dead to the world, and he felt that guilt come over him again. “I just want to be here as soon as he wakes up.”

Bobby walked over to the couch and adjusted Liam’s blanket. “As soon as he wakes up, he’s gonna come wake you. I’ll make sure of it.”

Sam gave Liam another long look and then slowly turned away, walking out of the library and down the short hall to the stairs. He slowly started climbing, and then stopped to look at Dean. “I screwed up, didn’t I?”

Dean didn’t say anything for a moment, but when he did finally speak, there was no hesitation. “Yeah, you screwed up. Every parent does. You’re gonna make this right, and Liam is going to be just fine.”

Sam looked down at his feet and tried to imagine making things right. He tried to picture what it would look like, and all he could picture was Liam crying because Sam had disappeared again.

“Go to bed,” Dean ordered, giving Sam a knowing look. “Just shut down that screwy brain of yours and get some sleep. We’ll figure things out in the morning.”

Sam nodded his head and continued up the staircase, making his way to the bedroom that had become Liam’s over time. He closed the door behind him and looked around at the somewhat cluttered room. He looked at Liam’s schoolbooks and half-finished art projects. He looked at the discarded pajamas and Liam’s latest Lego creation. He looked at the evidence of his little boy, and he was reminded for the millionth time why he loved Liam so much.

_I’ll make it right. Somehow, someway, I’ll make it right._

And with that thought at the forefront of his mind, Sam tumbled into bed and lost himself to sleep.

* * *

“Sorzie!”

Sam jolted awake and grunted in pain, grabbing onto the sudden weight that had jumped on him. “Liam!” He sat up in bed and held Liam in his lap, hugging him tightly. “Liam, buddy, I missed you so much!”

“I missed you, too!” Liam wound his arms around Sam’s neck and held on for dear life, straddling Sam’s lap. “I was really worried about you! Are you okay?”

“I am now,” Sam assured, smiling. “I’m sorry I had to disappear for a little while. There was something really important I needed to do.”

“It’s okay. I knew you were coming back.” Liam peered up at Sam with curious blue eyes. “What important thing did you have to do?”

Sam offered another smile, trying to think of a good way to tell the truth. “Well… you know how Dean and I hunt monsters?”

Liam nodded twice, a solemn expression on his face.

“Well, there was a really bad monster that I needed to take care of. To do that, I had to drink something that made me really sick afterwards.” Sam gave Liam a tight smile. “But I’m okay now. And I’m home.”

Liam gave Sam a scrutinizing look, his features scrunched up with suspicion. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I am now, buddy. I promise.” Sam kissed Liam on the forehead, right over his cigarette burn scars. “I was sick for a while, but I’m better now.”

Liam looked at him for a moment longer, but then he smiled. “Okay.” He reached out and poked Sam in the ribcage. “Castiel put special sigils on you to keep the angels from finding you.”

Sam blinked. “Really? Cool.” He poked Liam in the ribcage the same way Liam had poked him. “Did _you_ get sigils put on you?”

“Yup!” Liam gave Sam another hug and then got off of him, bouncing on his toes by the bed. “Dean said we have to go to the grocery store to get food. Are you coming with us?”

Sam smiled widely, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. “I’d love to come to the grocery store.”

Liam turned and went to the door, opening it up and hollering, “Dean! He said yes!”

Sam smiled to himself and stood up. He had fallen into bed the night before without even taking his shoes off, so he was already ready to go.

“Come on,” Liam urged, leaving the bedroom behind.

Sam followed Liam out, still smiling to himself, and he couldn’t help but feel a little lighter. Lucifer was still free, and Ruby had still betrayed him, and he still wasn’t on the best of terms with Dean, but Liam was okay. If nothing else, Liam was okay.

That was enough for Sam.

* * *

Grocery stores were magical things. How did Liam know this? Well, to understand that, one had to know what Liam knew. What did Liam know? Well, Liam didn’t know _exactly_ what was going on with his family, but he knew enough.

He knew Sam was upset about something. He could tell from the way Sam’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. He could tell from the way Sam stared blankly at the floor when he thought no one was looking. He could tell from the way Sam couldn’t quite look Dean in the eye when they talked.

Liam also knew that Dean was angry about something. It might have been the same something Sam was upset about, but Liam didn’t know for sure. All Liam knew was that Dean kept crossing his arms over his chest. All Liam knew was that Dean kept snapping at people and then taking it back, rubbing his face in frustration.

Liam _also_ knew that Castiel felt really, really guilty. He could tell from the way Castiel would offer a piece of information and then immediately withdraw. He could tell from the way Castiel couldn’t look anyone in the eye for more than a second or two. He could tell from the perpetual frown that marred Castiel’s features, from the lines drawn on his face.

Liam could tell a lot of things about his family, and when he took all of those things into consideration, it became readily obvious that grocery stores were magical.

In what way? Well…

“Hey, Liam, do you want some clementines?”

Liam looked up at Sam in surprise, startled out of his thoughts. “Uh, yes, please.”

Sam gave Liam a knowing look, a small smile pulling on the corner of his mouth. “Are you actually going to eat them this time?”

Liam bit his lip, looking sheepish. “Sorry, Sorzie. I won’t let them go bad again.”

Sam shook his head, that little smile lingering. “Buddy, it’s okay. I mean, I don’t want you to be wasteful, but there are worse things than forgetting food until it goes bad. I do it, too.”

Liam still felt bad, but he really _did_ want clementines, so he didn’t try to talk Sam out of buying. He was just going to have to make sure he ate them all.

Sam let out a little sigh, sadness dampening his features. “Should, uh…” He shook his head. “Should we get some vegetables, too?”

Liam nodded his head and did his best not to worry, but that was much easier said than done. For all that Liam _did_ know about what was going on with his family, there was so much more he _didn’t_ know. There was so much happening, and Liam didn’t know what he was supposed to think of it all.

Why had Sam gone off to face the monster alone? What did he drink that made him sick afterward? What did he mean by ‘sick?’ Were Sam and Dean able to defeat the monster they had gone after? Or had it hurt them? Was it going to come hurt Liam, too?

Liam was imaginative. He had theories to last him for days.

“Earth to Liam, come in Liam. This is Captain Sorzie speaking.”

Liam blinked a few times and dragged himself from his thoughts. “Sorry.” He looked up at Sam and blinked again. “Uh, what was the question?”

“Do you want carrots?” Sam asked, holding up a bag of baby carrots.

Liam thought about it for a moment. “Do we have peanut butter?”

“Yeah, we have peanut butter.” Sam indicated the carrots with a small nod. “You want them?”

Liam thought about it for another moment, and then he nodded.

“Okay.” Sam put the carrots in the cart and glanced down at Liam with a soft smile. “Do you want to tell me what you were thinking about?”

Liam immediately shook his head. “No, I’m fine.”

There was no way Liam wanted to tell Sam about his questions. Sam already felt bad about whatever thing was bothering him. If Sam knew how upset Liam was, he would feel even worse. And there was no telling Dean, because if Dean knew how upset Liam was, he might get angry with Sam or Liam or both. And there was no telling Castiel, because if Castiel knew how upset Liam was, he would feel even more guilty.

No, no, no. Liam didn’t want any of that.

“Did you clean out the deli, or did you leave them with a single slice of ham?” Sam asked, putting two containers of grape tomatoes in the cart.

Dean walked up to them and dropped several deli bags into the cart, letting out a sarcastic laugh. “Ha, ha. You’re so funny.” He gestured to the food he had gathered. “I like to stuff my face with a variety of meats and cheeses, and you can’t tell me this isn’t healthy food.”

Sam smiled lightly, actually meeting Dean’s eyes for a few seconds. “Yeah, well… I’ll give you that.” He faltered for a moment, but then he looked at Dean again. “I think we’re done in the produce aisle.”

“Good.” Dean sneered at the fresh fruits and vegetables in the cart. “Wait.” He looked around them with a frown. “Where’d Cas go?”

Sam stopped. “Uh…” He also looked around, but Castiel was nowhere in sight. “I lost him, apparently.”

Liam pointed in the general direction of the snack aisle. “I think he went over there.” He had noticed Castiel wandering off earlier.

“Ooh, snack aisle.” Dean clapped his hands together and rubbed them. “It’s potato chip time.”

Liam looked up at Sam hopefully. “I _do_ really like potato ships.”

Sam smiled back. “I know you do, buddy. We can get some chips.”

Liam turned to look at Dean and smiled. “We can get chips.”

Dean started to walk. “Well, let’s get going then.”

Liam nodded, grabbing onto Dean’s sleeve and starting toward the aisle of junk food. He felt guilty the second he stepped away from the cart, wondering if Sam would think Liam was choosing Dean over him. But he didn’t want to run away from Dean and go to Sam, because he didn’t want Dean to feel bad, either.

He was stuck.

Thankfully, Sam followed them with the cart, so they were still together as a group. Liam was willing to take that as a victory.

“Castiel?”

Liam pulled himself from his thoughts in time to see Castiel turn toward them with a long strip of Fruit by the Foot hanging from his mouth.

“Thith ith not fruit,” he said, holding up the box. “But I like it.”

Dean snorted. “It’s the only fruit that matters.” He walked over and whacked Castiel upside the head. “You can’t just open boxes and eat things before you buy them.”

“Don’t hit him,” Liam said softly, biting down on his lip when Dean looked his way. “Please?”

Dean stared for a moment, and then he pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded. “Sure, buddy. I’m sorry. I forgot that…” He shook his head with a sigh. “I just forgot. Sorry.”

Liam gave Dean a tiny smile. “It’s okay.” He scuffed his foot on the floor, hoping he hadn’t been too disrespectful or troublesome. “Thanks.”

There was a moment of silence, and then Sam pointed to the cart. “Go ahead and put them in.”

Castiel cautiously approached the cart, squinting in a mixture of suspicion and confusion. “You’re thertain?” he asked, the strip of candy still hanging from his mouth.

Sam gave him a tight smile and a single nod. “Yup. Go ahead.”

Castiel looked at Sam for a long moment, and then he dropped the box into the cart. He grabbed the end of the Fruit by the Foot still hanging out and stuck it in his mouth, chewing contentedly.

“Okay, Lee.” Dean walked a little further down the aisle and spread his arms, indicating the massive wall of chips. “Time to pick your poison. And by poison, I mean death by deliciousness.”

And Liam smiled. Because, thanks to the magical power of grocery stores, he could pretend things were normal for a little while. He knew Sam was still upset about something, and he knew Dean was still angry about something, and he knew Castiel was still feeling guilty, but for a moment, things were okay.

Things were okay.

* * *

“I’m the what now?”

Castiel sighed softly and looked at Dean from where he sat on Bobby’s couch. He wasn’t sure whether or not Heaven’s plans were something that should be discussed in front of Liam, but Castiel couldn’t put off the truth any longer.

“You’re the Michael Sword.” Castiel glanced briefly at Liam, who sat on the floor nearby, coloring a picture of a hummingbird. “The Apocalypse isn’t the end; it leads up to the end. The end is a prizefight between Michael and Lucifer. For that, they need you and Sam to be their vessels.”

Sam, who was standing next to Dean, shook his head and let out an incredulous sort of laugh. “How are we supposed to fight that?”

Castiel hung his head and slowly shook it back and forth. “I don’t know.” He looked up at Sam and tried to put some conviction into his voice. “But if anyone can do it, I believe you and Dean can.”

“Well,” Bobby said from behind his desk, “you’ve already got those sigils keeping you hidden from angels. That’s a start.”

“Yeah, but they’ll find us eventually.” That was Dean, sounding less than optimistic.

Sam glanced over at Liam. “Maybe we should talk about this later.”

Liam looked up from his coloring project. “It doesn’t bother me, Sorzie. I already know you guys are upset about something.”

Sam smiled weakly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, I guess you do. Sorry, buddy.”

Liam only shrugged, looking back at his art. “It’s okay.”

“So,” Bobby started, drawing their attention back to the problem at hand. “What do we do?”

“Well, there will be Four Horsemen.” Castiel shifted on the couch, pressing a hand to the wound in his side. He was still pretty roughed up from his reeducation. “War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. They will be unleashed on the world.”

“Well, that sounds terrible.” Dean put his hands on his hips and gave Castiel a disapproving look, like it was Castiel’s fault the Horsemen were free.

Which, Castiel supposed, it kind of was. If Castiel had done the right thing from the beginning, he could have prevented Sam from killing Lilith and subsequently releasing Lucifer. Castiel had made the wrong call, and he had to own up to that.

“I apologize.” Castiel hung his head briefly, but then he looked at Sam and Dean again. “I don’t know how to fight Lucifer without giving in to Heaven’s plan. But I truly do believe you can find a way around it, and I’ll help however I can.”

Sam ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. “Well, for now at least, the best thing we can do is keep moving.”

Bobby nodded his head in agreement. “Not that I don’t love having you all here, but the more you stay in one place, the quicker the angels will be able to find you.”

Dean nodded a few times and looked at Liam. “Where do you wanna go, buddy?”

Liam stopped what he was doing and looked at the group, an almost puzzled expression crossing his features. “I dunno. I’d like to go anywhere. I just like traveling places.”

Sam hummed and put his hands on his hips, lips twisting as he contemplated what was said. “Well, we could hit the road and see where it takes us.”

Castiel wet his lips and looked at Liam to see what he would say. Subconsciously—or maybe not so subconsciously—Castiel was hoping he would be allowed to tag along, but he wasn’t sure how Sam and Dean would feel about that. He knew Liam wanted him around, but the brothers had no reason to want Castiel anywhere near them. Honestly, it was surprising they hadn’t already kicked him out.

“Can we get ice cream wherever we go?” Liam asked, looking up at the brothers hopefully.

Sam smiled. “After we eat something good for dinner, we can.”

Dean jerked his head in the general direction of the kitchen. “What about all the groceries we just bought?”

Bobby waved it off. “Just take what you can. I’ll eat whatever you leave.”

Dean nodded and looked at Castiel. “You coming with us?”

Castiel blinked in surprise, staring at both Dean and Sam. “You’ll have me?”

Dean gave Castiel a hard look, like he was angry about something. “Yeah, well… you helped Liam. You’re on thin ice, but for now, you can ride with us.”

Castiel blinked again, still staring. He had no idea what ice had to do with anything, but he was pretty sure he understood what Dean was saying to him. “Thank you,” he said after a few more seconds of silent staring. “I won’t let you down.”

“You better not,” was Dean’s snapped reply.

Castiel fell silent, willing to accept whatever harshness Dean showed. Sam, too. Castiel was grateful to be accepted into the group, and he understood how his actions had made the situation complicated. He wasn’t going to complain, and he would take whatever they dealt without reserve. He was going to help them, and he was going to be a part of their fascinating, _tantalizing_ lives. What that would entail, Castiel wasn’t entirely sure, but he knew he had glimpsed little pieces of their lives when he had been with Liam, and he wanted to be a part of that. He wanted to see what was so captivating about their concept of family. He wanted to understand. And it seemed, at least for the time being, Dean and Sam were going to allow him to tag along.

So, Castiel was going to get it right. He wasn’t going to screw things up. And maybe, just maybe, they would make him a part of their family.

* * *

“ _Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear! Ohh-ohh, livin’ on a prayer!_ ”

Dean looked in the rearview mirror as he drove, unable to keep himself from smiling wide as they drove down the interstate with their windows down. “Yeah, sing it, Liam!”

Liam did exactly what Dean said and belted it out from the backseat. “ _Tommy’s got his six-string in hock! Now he’s holdin’ in, what used to make it talk so tough. Mmm, it’s tough._ ”

Dean, of course, had been singing along with Liam since the song came on the radio, and he wasn’t about to stop. “ _Gina dreams of running away. When she cries in the night, Tommy whispers, ‘Baby, it’s okay… someday…’_ Sammy! Sammy, sing!”

Sam threw his head back and laughed out loud. “ _We gotta hold on to what we got. It doesn’t make a difference if we make it or not. We got each other and that’s a lot for love._ ” He put his fist up. “ _We’ll give it a shot!_ ”

Dean hit the steering wheel and headbanged as the chorus returned. “ _Ohhh, we’re halfway there! Ohh-ohh livin’ on a prayer!_ ”

Liam shouted along, bouncing in his seat. “ _Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear! Ohh-ohh, living on a prayer! Livin’ on a prayer!_ ”

“Air guitar!” Dean shouted, immediately letting go of the wheel to strum his imaginary instrument.

Sam, still laughing, reached over and grabbed the steering wheel. “Dean, do you—haha, do you think you could keep your hands on the wheel?”

Dean grabbed the wheel with one hand and pointed at Sam with the other. “ _Ooh, we gotta hold on, ready or not! You live for the fight when it’s all that you’ve got!_ Key change!”

Liam was torn between giggling and singing. “ _Woah, we’re halfway there! Ohh-ohh, livin’ on a prayer!_ ”

“ _Take my hand, and we’ll make it I swear! Ohh-ohh, livin’ on a prayer!_ ” Sam laughed again, the wind blowing his hair into his face as he tried to keep singing. “ _Ohhh, we’re halfway there! Ohh-ohh, livin’ on a prayer!_ ”

“ _Take my hand, and we’ll make it I swear—_ ”

Dean whipped his head around, staring at the backseat. “Cas, did you just sing along?”

Castiel blinked those owlish eyes of his as the song faded out. “I… I think so, yes.”

Dean put his eyes back on the road and pursed his lips. “Huh.” He nodded a few times, contemplating the angel in his car.

Sam turned around in his seat and put his hand on Liam’s leg. “Are you hungry, buddy?”

Liam didn’t say anything right away, but eventually Dean heard a little, “Yeah,” from the backseat.

Sam smiled. “Cool. Where do you want to go?”

“Umm…” Liam kicked the back of Dean’s seat. “Oops. Sorry.”

Dean waved it off. “Don’t worry, bud. You’re fidgety. It happens.”

“Okay.” Liam was quiet for another moment. “I wanna go to Chick-Fil-A.”

Dean wagged a finger in the air. “Then to Chick-Fil-A we shall go!” he said, being as dramatic as he possibly could.

Liam giggled, and Dean couldn’t help but smile again. Maybe he was the Michael Sword, and maybe Sam was the Lucifer Sword, or vessel, or whatever. Maybe everything was going to literal Hell in and handbasket. Maybe things were bad, but things were also good. Liam was a good thing, and even though the world was on the edge of a meltdown, Dean was going to enjoy that good thing as long as he possibly could. So sue him.

“Can I get a milkshake with my food, Sorzie?”

Sam smiled and turned in his seat. “Sure, buddy. What kind?”

“Vanilla!” Liam looked at Castiel and gave him a wide, gap-toothed smile. “You should try some, Castiel.”

Castiel nodded seriously. “I will try some.”

Dean didn’t say anything. He was still a little sore about Castiel and his hand in the Apocalypse, but he didn’t want to break the peace that had settled over the car. It was hard to hold his tongue, but he decided he could get angry with Castiel another day. He was too determined to enjoy the moment he was in. After everything he had been through, he deserved it.

They all did.


	2. Episode 2: Good God, Y'all

“So, do we have any idea where we’re headed?” Dean asked, looking at Sam in the passenger’s seat. “Or are we just going to drive until we feel like stopping?”

Sam shrugged his shoulders and took a drink of the Coke he had gotten from McDonald’s. “Maybe we should find a library and do some research. Try to find a hunt nearby.”

Dean grabbed his own Coke and took a sip, flicking on his turn signal and getting in the fast lane. “Sounds like a plan to me.” He glanced in the rearview mirror, looking at Castiel. “Cas, you gonna help with the hunt?”

Castiel blinked his owlish eyes. “I don’t see why not.”

Liam sipped his orange juice and looked at Dean. “Can I hunt, too?”

Dean looked at Sam, worried, and then looked in the rearview mirror again. “Uh, it’s pretty dangerous, buddy. I think we’d rather have you stay at home base.”

Liam frowned, confused. “Well, if it’s so dangerous, why are you doing it?”

Sam took over then, turning in his seat so he could face Liam. “You remember me telling you that hunting was my job, right?”

Liam nodded twice.

“Even though it’s dangerous, it’s a job that has to be done,” Sam explained. “Not a lot of people know how to hunt, so it’s up to those of us who know to do what we can to help.”

Liam nodded again. “That makes sense.” He took another drink of his orange juice and then spoke again. “Can I learn to hunt when I’m older?”

Dean looked at Sam, wondering what his answer would be. To his surprise, Sam smiled and said, “I think you could learn to hunt when you’re older.”

“Okay.” Liam turned his head to look out the window, seemingly satisfied.

Sam looked at Dean, a smile still lingering on his lips. “I think Liam will make a great hunter, don’t you?”

Dean was still stuck on Sam actually encouraging hunting, but he quickly nodded. “Of course he will. He’s a Winchester.”

Liam smiled to himself, still looking out the window.

Dean opened his mouth to say something more on the topic of hunting, but he stopped short when he saw Sam start to wrestle with his phone in his pocket. “You gettin’ a call?”

“Yeah.” Sam pulled the phone out and looked at the caller ID. “It’s Bobby.” He flipped the phone open and put it to his ear. “Bobby?”

Dean looked between Sam and the road, keeping an eye on both as he drove.

“What’s going on?” Sam squinted slightly, nodding as he listened. “Okay. Where are you?” He nodded a few more times. “River Pass, Colorado?” He looked at Dean and confirmed, “River Pass, Colorado.”

Dean nodded. “Got it.” He started looking for signs on the highway.

“We’ll be there as soon as we can. Just hang in there.” Sam nodded again. “Got it. See you soon.” Sam pulled his phone away from his ear and hung up. “Bobby said Rufus called him in on a town that is completely infested with demons. It’s more than they can handle.”

Dean nodded his head, but he couldn’t deny he felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of Liam in a demon-infested town. _We’ll just have to keep him safe._ Immediately, the more critical side of his brain went, _You mean like you kept him safe from the angels?_

“Even though I’m not hunting, I’m still gonna be there.” Liam scooted forward and leaned between Sam and Dean’s seats, looking between them curiously. “What should I know about demons?”

Sam shifted in his seat. “Well, demons possess people and make them do things. When someone is possessed, their eyes turn black. Demons are sensitive to salt and holy water.”

“Yeah, and we’ve got an anti-possession charm that you’re gonna wear,” Dean interjected. “It looks just like the tattoos Sammy and I have.”

Liam nodded seriously. “Okay. How do you get rid of them?”

“We have an exorcism that we recite, and it makes the demon leave the body.” Sam shifted in his seat, looking somewhat uncomfortable. “We also have a demon-killing knife which… does what the name suggests. We try to avoid using that because it kills the host body, too.”

Liam nodded again and looked at Sam. “And you can make them leave people, too, right? With your powers?”

Sam looked at Liam in surprise. “Uh…” He shifted awkwardly. “I can exorcise them when I drink demon blood, but it, uh, it makes me really sick.” He squinted slightly. “How did you know that?”

“I overheard you talking about it the night you two fought.” Liam leaned back in his seat, his gaze drifting downward. “When Dean hit you, remember?”

Sam bit his lip, and Dean felt a rush of guilt.

“Yeah,” Sam said, giving a slight nod. “Yeah, I remember that.”

Dean almost snorted. _How could we forget?_ But he didn’t say that out loud.

Sam cleared his throat. “Uh, anyway, that’s how you deal with demons. But you’ll be staying with the people we’re trying to protect.” He smiled faintly. “They’re gonna be scared, and they’re not really gonna know what’s going on. You can help calm them down and let them know that everything’s gonna be okay.”

Liam nodded his head a few times. “I can do that.”

Dean smiled to himself. On one hand, he didn’t want Liam to have a hunter’s life. He wanted something better for Liam. On another hand, he couldn’t wait to teach the kid how to hunt. It wouldn’t be too long before Liam was old enough. Maybe… fourteen? Fifteen?

“Castiel,” Dean started, looking in the rearview mirror. “Can you still smite demons?”

Castiel didn’t respond at first, and when he did, he started speaking slowly. “I… don’t know. I haven’t tried.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I suppose this is the perfect opportunity to find out.”

Dean snorted but didn’t say anything. He knew Castiel was still pretty injured from the torture he had undergone, so he wasn’t going to push the issue.

“How long until we get there?” Liam asked, taking a drink of his orange juice.

Dean’s face scrunched up as he considered the question. “Not sure, buddy. Why?”

Liam took another drink of his orange juice. “I was wondering if we could stop somewhere for food.”

“Food?” Sam laughed, turning in his seat so he was facing forward again. “We just ate!”

“I know.” Liam drooped a little, his shoulders hunching slightly. “We don’t have to. I was just wondering.”

“Hey, if you’re hungry, you’re hungry.” Dean shrugged his shoulders. “We can stop somewhere if you want, buddy.”

“I’d really like some french fries,” Liam said, shifting in his seat.

“We can get you some.” Dean kept his attention on the road. “You’re a growing boy.”

Castiel hummed softly. “I, too, would like some more french fries.”

“You can have some, too, Cas.” Dean smiled to himself and kept driving, keeping an eye out for signs with fast food on them.

“Why?” Liam grinned, looking at Castiel. “Are you a growing boy, too?”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh a little at the question and the subsequent look of confusion on Castiel’s face. “Maybe it’s all that angel mojo,” he suggested, glancing in the rearview mirror. “You need something to fuel those powers, right?”

Castiel blinked. “I do not need sustenance. I simply like the taste.” He blinked again, looking at Liam. “Normally, I can’t taste anything but molecules, but since I’ve been cut off from Heaven, things have been tasting a little different. I like it.”

Sam shook his head. “Man, an existence without food would make me miserable. Even if I didn’t need it.”

“I’m beginning to understand the appeal of food,” Castiel said. “I’m especially fond of ice cream and its by-products.”

Sam chuckled. “We can stop somewhere that has ice cream by-products.”

Castiel blinked those wide eyes of his again. “I would like that.”

Dean shook his head with a smile. He couldn’t believe how accustomed he had become to having backseat passengers, and he was even more surprised to find he liked it. Liam had sort of been shoved on Dean once he got out of Hell, and Dean hadn’t been given any say over whether or not Liam stayed, but it hadn’t taken long for him to realize he liked being Uncle Dean. He couldn’t imagine _not_ being Uncle Dean. And he was getting used to Castiel tagging along, too.

It was weird, but it was his family, and he liked it.

He liked it a lot.

* * *

“Liam, are you sure you’re okay?”

Liam looked up at Sam, forcing a smile and a lie. “Yeah, Sorzie, I’m fine.” He looked down at his feet and then looked back up. “Why did Ellen slap Dean?”

Sam smiled softly. “We made her worry about us, and she was angry.”

Liam swallowed hard, unable to get the image out of his head. “But you said people who love each other don’t hit.”

“Yes, I did, and that’s true.” Sam looked at Liam for a long moment, and then he let out a heavy sigh. “Liam, you and I know it’s not good to hit people you care about, but not everyone agrees with that. Ellen is one of those people. It doesn’t make it right, but…” He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. “But sometimes, you have to be the one to set boundaries. You say, ‘Ellen, I know you feel differently than I do, but you can’t hit me,’ which is what Dean did. Then you have to forgive that person and move on. Does that make sense?”

Liam looked at his feet for a long moment, and then he offered a faint nod. “Yeah, I think I understand.”

Sam leaned down and kissed Liam on the forehead. “Castiel, Dean, and I are going to get some guns and salt to fight these demons. We’re also gonna look for Jo and Bobby and Rufus while we’re out. I want you to stay here with Ellen and the townspeople, alright?”

Liam nodded affirmatively. “Got it. Be safe, okay?”

Sam gave him a thumbs up and turned away, walking out the door and joining Castiel and Dean.

Liam watched him go and then let out a sigh, turning to look at the group of people gathered in the church. He didn’t know how he felt about staying with Ellen, but it didn’t sound like he had much of a choice. Still, it left an uneasy feeling in his stomach, and to make matters worse, there was a pregnant woman in the group, which had Liam thinking about Timmy for the first time in a long time. Liam hadn’t thought about Timmy since he was running from the angels with the ghost of John Winchester.

_“And he used to talk sometimes… about how his mom said she wished she had aborted him… or that she had miscarried…”_

Liam shook off the thoughts and looked at the group. Ellen was showing them how to load a shotgun, and after a moment spent in bitterness over her hitting Dean, Liam realized he should know how to load as shotgun, too.

So, Liam walked over to the group and sat down on the floor, looking up at Ellen and watching the demonstration. Maybe Sam and Dean weren’t ready for Liam to hunt, but Liam was ready, and he was going to learn as much as he could while he had the chance. Even if he wasn’t all that fond of the teacher.

_They’ll let me hunt someday._

And Liam was determined to be good at it. Then he could help them on their hunts instead of being a burden. He could stay by their side instead of getting left behind. He could make them proud.

_I might even be as good as them._

But only time would tell.

* * *

“Woah, woah, woah. Slow your roll. This is not a demon thing.”

Liam moved closer to Dean, not liking the way the atmosphere in the room was changing. “Dean, wh—”

“Look at their eyes!” The man who had called himself Roger pointed at Dean and Ellen, looking terrified. “They’re demons!”

Dean immediately grabbed Liam and ran for the door. “Go, go!”

Someone fired a shotgun as the door slammed shut behind them, the wood splintering under the impact.

“Move!”

Liam felt his feet touch the ground, and he immediately started running, sticking close to Dean and Ellen as they ran. “Dean?” He saw Dean’s eyes were black and he swallowed hard. “You have an anti-possession tattoo, right?”

“I do, buddy. It’s not a demon.” Dean hurried up the stairs, occasionally grabbing Liam by the arm to pull him along and keep him close. “I know we told you demons have black eyes, and they do, but this is something different. You gotta trust me, okay?”

Liam bit his lip and nodded his head, taking the stairs two at a time and following Dean out the church doors. “Where do we go?”

Dean stopped for just a second, looking around frantically. “Ellen? Thoughts?”

Ellen stopped next to Dean and also looked around, slightly out of breath. “If we can talk some sense into Rufus, Jo, and Bobby, we might have a chance.”

“Dean?”

Liam looked into the street and saw Castiel standing there with a confused expression on his face. _That’s right. Castiel was standing guard._

“Cas, they’re trying to kill us. They think we’re demons.” Dean grabbed Liam’s arm and started to move again. “Come on, Cas. We’re going to the safehouse where Bobby and the others are.”

Castiel immediately left his post in front of the church and started running behind Dean. Ellen also ran alongside, and even though Liam was still upset about her hitting Dean, he was worried she would be left behind and hurt, so he kept an eye on her.

“They have Sam, right?” Liam looked to Dean for confirmation, running as fast as his legs would take him.

Dean nodded once, his eyes still solid black. “Yeah. If we can convince them that this isn’t demons, we can get Sam, and then we might be able to do something about War.”

“How are you going to stop War?” Liam asked, figuring something like War wouldn’t be as easy to stop as a demon or ghost or shtriga.

Dean didn’t answer Liam’s question. Instead, he came to a stop behind a broken-down car and took Liam by the shoulders. “Liam, I need you to stay here.”

“I can help,” Liam insisted.

Dean immediately shook his head. “I can’t be worrying about you while I’m trying to fight, buddy. I need you to stay here and wait for me to call for you.”

Liam wanted to argue, but he knew there was no point, and if he was understanding the situation correctly, Dean didn’t have a lot of time. So, Liam nodded his head and crouched down behind the car.

“Go, Dean. I’ll be safe here.”

Dean gave Liam a brief smile and tousled his hair. “Thanks, bud.”

Liam stayed close to the ground and watched as Dean, Castiel, and Ellen approached a nearby house. Dean pointed in different directions, and he must have said something, because Castiel and Ellen dispersed.

_There has to be something I can do._

But what? He didn’t know how to fight War—he didn’t really know how to fight, period—and he was no match for someone with a gun. Even if it was only rock salt, it still packed a punch, and Liam had no defense.

_I can’t do anything. I’m useless._

That wasn’t exactly new, but it did make him feel bad. He knew Dean and Sam had to jump through a lot of hoops to keep Liam with them; the least Liam could do was make up for it by helping on hunts in any way he could. But there was no way to help, and he felt completely worthless. Just another hassle. Just another burden.

_What if they don’t want me anymore?_

What if they somehow survived this hunt and Sam and Dean decided Liam was too much of a problem? What if they decided it was just too much trouble to deal with Liam while they were hunting? What if they got rid of him? What if he was alone again?

Liam startled when he heard an explosion, and he saw smoke rising from the house Dean and Castiel and Ellen had gone to. He felt a twist in his gut, fear taking him over as he watched the black soot rise into the sky.

_Did something happen? Or did they set that off on purpose?_

He had no idea, but he felt even more useless than he did before, and the feeling was getting worse with every second that passed. He was just sitting there like a bump on a log, doing nothing, waiting to be rescued.

_They need someone who can help them. They need an adult, not a little brat who gets underfoot. They don’t need you. You heard what Dean said. He can’t be worrying about you while he’s hunting. You’re getting in the way._

“Hey!”

Liam whirled on the spot and saw the townspeople coming toward him. _Uh oh._ He backed up until he hit the car, holding one hand out with a shouted, “Stop!”

The man leading the group—Austin, Liam was pretty sure his name was—leveled his shotgun at Liam. “How did you get away from them?”

Liam wet his lips and decided to take the plunge. If he was lucky, he might actually end up helping somehow. “They’re _not_ demons! There are no demons here, it’s _War._ ”

“Look!” It was Roger again. “Look at his eyes!”

Liam put his hands up. “Even if my eyes are black, I’m not _doing_ anything to try and attack you! If I were a demon, I would be super strong, and I would be able to fight you, but I can’t, because I’m _not_.”

Austin actually hesitated at that, and his gun lowered slightly.

The pregnant woman, Ellie, clutched her gun and shifted nervously where she stood. “He’s just a kid, Austin. Maybe… maybe we should stop and think for a second.”

Liam swallowed hard, feeling a flicker of hope in his chest. “Dean and Ellen ran away from you. If they were demons, they would have used their powers to hurt you instead.”

“He’s lying!” Roger shouted, aiming his own weapon at Liam. “It’s all part of their plan to get us to drop our guard!”

Liam felt a jolt in his veins, adrenaline skyrocketing as he stood with his back pressed against the broken-down car. “This isn’t helping!” he tried, looking at Austin imploringly. “Everyone fighting is _not_ helping!” He looked over his shoulder, but he couldn’t see anyone he knew, so he looked back at Austin. “Dean and Castiel and Ellen all went into the house to try and stop everyone in there from fighting. If we just wait a little while—”

“If we wait, we’ll be dead!” Roger shouted, leveling his weapon and firing.

Liam dodged, just barely missing what was _not_ rock salt, and the car window shattered, showering him with glass. Liam took off in a dead run toward the house. “Dean!” He ran from blacktop to sidewalk to front yard, dodging a tree and making his way to the porch. “Dean!”

Dean was on the porch pinning a black man to the ground, but as soon as he saw Liam, his attention shifted. “Liam? I told you to w—”

“They’re coming!” Liam jogged up the stairs to the porch. “They’re coming, and they are _not_ shooting rock salt. I’m pretty sure they’re using real bullets.”

Dean stood up, releasing the man he had been pinning down. “They _shot_ at you?” he demanded, anger twisting his features.

“It was Roger,” Liam rushed, looking over his shoulder at the street he had come from. He could see Austin and the others walking toward the house. “We should get inside!”

Dean nodded and held out his hand for the man on the ground to grab. “Rufus, where’s Sam?”

“Upstairs,” Rufus said, taking the hand and pulling himself to his feet. “Bobby and Jo are in—”

“Cas and Ellen should have gotten to them already.” Dean wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “Come on, Liam. Let’s get you inside.”

Liam darted into the house, going for the staircase right away. “You said Sam’s upstairs, right?” he called over his shoulder.

“Right!” Rufus called back.

Liam took the stairs two at a time, and once he got to the second floor, he started poking his head into various rooms. Dean was right on his heels, looking in all the same rooms, and soon enough, they found what they were looking for.

“Sammy!” Dean rushed into the room and crouched in front of the chair Sam was tied to. “Hold on, let me—”

“Dean, it’s not demons,” Sam started. “It’s—”

“War,” Dean finished for him, pulling the ropes from his ankles and standing up. “We know. We just don’t know how he’s doing it.”

“His ring,” Sam said, watching Dean undo the ropes around his wrists.

“That’s right,” Dean said, pulling the bindings away. “He twisted his ring right before the hallucinations happened.”

Sam stood up and looked at Liam, worry creasing his brow. “You brought Liam with you?”

“Well, I didn’t have much of a choice,” Dean put his hands on his hips and looked over his shoulder at Liam. “They freakin’ took a shot at him. I tried to keep him out of the way, Sam, I swear, but—”

“It’s okay,” Liam said, looking between them and the open doorway they had just come through. “I’m fine, and we gotta focus!”

“Liam’s right.” Sam looked at Dean. “We need to focus. We need to get that ring.”

Dean nodded his head in agreement and then looked at Liam. “You have to stay in this room, okay?”

Liam nodded his head. He wanted to help, but he was in no hurry to be shot at again.

“We love you, buddy. Stay down and stay safe.” Sam grabbed Liam by the shoulders and planted a quick kiss on his forehead before hurrying out the door.

Dean tousled Liam’s hair as he followed after Sam, and then Liam was alone.

Liam walked over to the corner of the room and sank to the floor, wrapping his arms around his legs. He rested his chin on his knees and let out a heavy sigh, flinching at the sound of gunfire from outside.

 _They’re shooting at them._ Liam bit his lip and slowly stood up, creeping toward the door. _If I’m gonna be a hunter someday…_ But Sam had told him to stay in the room. _It might be bad to not help, but it’s really bad to disobey. I don’t want Sam to be mad at me._ So, he sat back down on the floor and waited.

And he waited… and he waited… and he waited. Worrying, of course, the entire time. What if Sam or Dean got hurt? What if they got _killed?_ Or what if something happened to Castiel? Would he be able to heal himself? What about Bobby? Ellen? Rufus?

 _Would you rather be at the foster home?_ a voice asked.

His brain responded with a resounding, _No._

Crouching in a corner worrying about his family was better than not having one. Despite everything, he still preferred life with Sam as his dad.

_They’re gonna be okay. They have to be._

He waited some more, listening to the sounds of gunfire, and as time passed, things started to quiet down. When that happened, he wanted nothing more than to go downstairs, but he stayed put. He would wait until someone he knew came to get him.

It took a while, but eventually, Sam came through the open door and scanned the room, quickly finding Liam in the corner.

“Hey, buddy.”

Liam stood up, rushing over to Sam and wrapping his arms around Sam’s waist. “Is everyone okay?”

“I think so, buddy.” Sam returned the hug.

Liam savored the embrace for a moment, but then he stepped out into the hall, looking around for more family members. “Dean?” He walked down the hallway and then went down the stairs, spying Dean by the front door to the house. “Dean!”

Dean turned around just in time to receive Liam’s hug, a big smile lighting his face. “Hey, buddy. We’re all okay. Someone got shot, but Ellen is with them, and we think they’re gonna be okay.”

Liam looked out the doorway, still slightly frantic. “Castiel? And Bobby?”

Dean nodded emphatically. “Yes, yes, they’re fine. Everyone’s fine.” He put a hand on Liam’s head. “We’re all okay.”

Liam looked back over his shoulder and saw Sam coming down the steps. “You’re sure?” he asked, looking back at Dean.

Dean smiled and nodded his head. “Yeah, buddy. We’re sure.”

Liam wrapped Dean in another hug and then turned to Sam, hugging him, too. “I’m just glad you guys are okay.” He looked up at Sam hopefully. “Can we get out of this town now?”

Sam smiled. “Yeah, Liam. We can leave now. Bobby, Rufus, Ellen, and Jo can handle things here.”

Dean jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I’ll grab Castiel, and then we can hit the road.”

Liam kept his arms around Sam, a faint smile pulling on his lips. “I like that idea.”

Sam hugged him back. “I like that idea, too.”

Liam leaned into the hug and closed his eyes, letting out a soft sigh of contentment. He felt Sam’s hands on his back, and the contact made him feel at ease. _Everything is gonna be okay._ He buried his face in Sam’s stomach. _Everything is gonna be okay._

* * *

“So, pit stop at Mount Doom?”

Sam looked across the picnic table at Dean, snorting softly. “Yeah.” He leaned forward, folding his arms atop the table. “Dean, I—”

“Sam.” Dean shook his head, shoving the Horseman’s ring into his pocket. “Let’s not.”

“No, listen. This is important.” Sam took a deep breath, glancing at the nearby playground where Liam was swinging with Castiel. “I know you don’t trust me.”

Dean looked away, reaching up to rub the back of his head.

Sam wet his lips and kept going. “Well, I’ve realized something.” He stopped for a moment, anticipating a bad reaction. “I’ve realized that I don’t trust me either.” He slowly shook his head. “From the minute I saw that blood, the only thought in my head…” He trailed off and sighed again. “And I tell myself it’s for the right reasons, and that my intentions are good, and it, it feels true, you know?”

Dean nodded a few times, a thoughtful expression crossing his features.

“But I think, underneath… I just miss the feeling.” Sam let out a bitter laugh. “I know how messed up that sounds, which means I know how messed up I am. The thing is, the problem’s not the demon blood. Not really. I mean, what I did, I can’t blame the blood or Ruby or… anything. The problem’s me. How far I’ll go.” Sam shook his head a few more times. “There’s something in me that… scares the crap out of me, Dean. Today, I caught another glimpse, and…”

Dean looked at Sam expectantly. “So, what are you saying?”

Sam shook his head and sighed. “I’m in no shape to be hunting. I need to step back because… I’m dangerous.” He sighed again, hesitant to finally make his point. “Maybe it’s best if we just… go our separate ways.”

Dean was shaking his head before Sam got the last word out. “No. No way.” He shook his head again. “No way am I leaving you when you’re struggling like this.” He rested his arms on top of the picnic table, leaning forward slightly. “Look, Sam, you’ve made some pretty big mistakes lately, and I think you’re right about needing to take a break from hunting, but we’re sticking together.”

Sam wet his lips and tried to argue. “You shouldn’t have to stop hunting just because of me. Just—just because I can’t handle it.”

“Sam, I’m only going to worry about you _more_ if we split up.” Dean shrugged his shoulders. “Makes sense to take a break.”

“Dean, this is my problem.”

“Sammy, you’re my brother. Your problems are my problems.” Dean turned his head to look at Liam and Castiel on the swing set. “Besides, what would Liam do if we split up? He needs his Uncle Dean.” Dean gave Sam a smirk.

Sam looked at Dean for a long moment, and then a weak smile slowly began to pull on the corner of his mouth. He shook his head and huffed out a little laugh. “You’re not gonna let me talk you out of this, are you?”

Dean shook his head. “Nope.” He looked at Liam and Castiel and then looked back at Sam. “Family sticks together, Sammy. We don’t split up when things get tough.”

Sam’s smile grew a little bigger and he conceded to Dean’s insistence with a nod. “I know.” He looked down for a moment, and then he looked Dean in the eyes again. “Thanks, Dean.”

Dean spread his arms. “What are brothers for?” He looked at the swing set again. “So, what are we gonna do instead of hunting?”

“Well, I actually have an idea for that.” Sam looked at the swing set, too, a fond smile pulling on his lips, “Liam’s birthday is June 3rd.”

Dean looked back at Sam and blinked. “Dude, that’s like a week away.” He spread his arms. “Why are you just now telling me?”

“I didn’t plan it that way, it just happened. First he was kidnapped by the angels, and then we were trying to kill Lilith and—” Sam stopped short and waved a dismissive hand. “That’s not the point. You know how Liam likes musicals?”

Dean nodded his head. “Yeah.”

“I was thinking of taking him to a Broadway show. I was hoping we could take him to see Wicked. It’s his favorite one.”

“Isn’t that the one about the Wizard of Oz?” Dean asked, arching a brow.

“That’s the one.” Sam smiled. “Too girly for you?”

Dean gave Sam a judging look. “It’s not too girly for Liam. That’s all that matters.”

Sam only smiled wider. “I couldn’t agree more.” He looked back at Liam and Castiel. “So, are we gonna do it?”

“Of course we are.” Dean stood up from the picnic table. “Let’s go tell him.”

Sam stood up, too, feeling like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had secretly been hoping Dean would refuse to split up, and while a small part of Sam felt guilty about Dean’s blind dedication, a bigger part of him was relieved to know Dean hadn’t given up on him.

“Hey, Liam!” Dean called, walking over to the swing set.

“Yeah?” Liam kept swinging, a curious tilt to his head.

“Sammy and I were talking.” Dean slipped his hands into his pockets and came to a stop in front of Liam’s swing. “How would you like to go see a show on Broadway for your birthday?”

Liam came to an immediate stop, both feet plopping into the dirt as he stared at Sam and Dean with wide eyes. “Are you serious?”

Sam smiled and nodded his head. “Yeah. We want to take a break from hunting, and we thought a good way to spend our time might be to see a Broadway show.”

Liam clapped his hands together and squealed. “Oh my gosh, this is so cool!”

Castiel put his own feet down in the dirt and stopped swinging, looking between Liam and the brothers. “What is a Broadway show?”

“Broadway is a theater,” Liam explained, gesticulating excitedly as he spoke. “They perform musicals there, and everyone is really talented, and it’s awesome!”

Castiel nodded seriously, but it was clear from the expression on his face that he didn’t really understand.

Liam looked back at Sam and Dean, unable to stop smiling. “Are you really serious? Are we really going to see a Broadway show?”

Sam laughed and nodded his head. “Yes, we’re really going to see a Broadway show.”

“What show?” Liam questioned, squirming in place.

“Well, we have to find a library and use their computer to look at tickets and showtimes.” Sam jerked a thumb over his shoulder, indicating the Impala. “Do you want to go now, or do you want to swing some more?”

“Now!” Liam hopped off the swing and started for Baby, grabbing Sam’s arm as he ran by. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

Sam laughed and let himself be pulled, trusting Dean and Castiel to follow them. “Hold on, buddy, the tickets aren’t going anywhere.”

Liam just kept running through the park, making his way over to the Impala. He opened the back door and crawled inside, bouncing in his seat and grinning up at Sam. “I know they’re not going anywhere, I’m just excited!”

Sam walked around the car and opened the passenger side door, getting in. “Well, then, let’s go!”

Dean and Castiel both got in the Impala, Castiel leaning forward and tapping Sam on the shoulder. “Am I also going to this Broadway show?”

“Yes!” Liam shouted, grabbing onto Castiel’s arm. “He is, right? He has to!”

Sam chuckled and turned slightly in his seat, looking at Liam. “Of course Castiel is coming.” He looked at Castiel then, giving him a questioning look. “I’m assuming you don’t mind?”

Castiel shook his head. “No. I would like to see one of these Broadway shows.”

“You’ll love it,” Liam assured, letting go of Castiel’s arm so he could put his seatbelt on. “Musicals are lots of fun.”

Castiel furrowed his brow and leaned back, copying Liam and putting his seatbelt on. “What exactly _is_ a musical?”

Liam happily explained, still visibly excited. “A musical is like a movie, but they sing songs to relay the story.” He pulled his legs up onto the seat, sitting cross-legged. “You know what a movie is, right?”

Castiel cocked his head to the side. “I am familiar, yes. It’s the telling of a story, isn’t it?”

Liam nodded. “Pretty much.”

Sam looked at Dean. “Never thought I’d be introducing an angel to Broadway musicals.”

Dean snorted a laugh and pulled onto the road. “Never thought I’d be _going_ to a Broadway musical, but here we are.”

Sam smirked. “You’re gonna love it.”

“Yeah, you are, Dee!” Liam piped up from the back.

Dean gave Liam a thumbs up. “I believe you, buddy.”

Sam leaned back in his seat, a wave of content settling over him. Sure, the future was uncertain at best and coming to a violent end at worst, but Sam was with his family. Amazingly, Dean hadn’t left, and he wasn’t going to, and they were all going to step away from hunting together. Sam couldn’t ask for much more than that. As long as they were together, then somehow, someway, they were going to figure out how to deal with the Apocalypse.

 _We’ll make things right again._ Sam looked out the window, doing his best to keep the frown off his face. _We have to._


	3. Episode 3: Free to Be You and Me

“So, what did you think of the show?” Liam asked, lifting a piece of meat lovers pizza to his mouth.

Castiel, who was sitting in the booth next to him, took a big bite of his own pizza and uttered, “I found the moral dilemma fascinating.” He chewed a few times and continued to talk with his mouth full. “I am glad Elphaba and Fiyero escaped in the end.”

“Dude.” Dean, sitting across from Castiel, gave the angel a disparaging look. “Chew with your mouth closed.”

Castiel blinked. “Okay.”

Liam smiled at Castiel and then looked at Sam and Dean. “What did _you_ think?”

Sam sucked Coke through his straw and swallowed. “It was really good. Kinda sad Galinda never found out that Elphaba and Fiyero escaped.”

Liam made a face. “Yeah. I never liked that part.” He took another bite of pizza and waited until he swallowed to continue. “But it’s still good.”

Sam nodded in agreement.

Liam wet his lips a bit nervously and looked at Dean.

“I liked it,” Dean confirmed, hypocritically talking with his mouth full. “That ‘Dancing Through Life’ song is my kinda jam.”

Liam fidgeted in his seat, pulling his lip between his teeth and chewing on it. “So… it wasn’t too girly?”

Dean stopped, surprise crossing his features. He swallowed and shook his head, a little smile pulling on the corner of his mouth. “No, buddy. I mean, musicals aren’t really my thing, but I liked it.”

Liam felt relief wash over him, a little slouch tugging on his shoulders. “Good.”

Dean and Sam exchanged a look, and then Dean looked at Liam. “Lee, if you like what you like and don’t let anyone tell you different, then you’re being about as manly as you can be.”

Liam was pretty sure Dean was just trying to make him feel better, but the kind words made him smile nonetheless. “Thanks, Dean.”

Dean shrugged and took another bite of pizza. “It’s the truth.”

Liam didn’t say anything, but he kept smiling.

Several minutes passed, the four devouring almost an entire pizza along with some mozzarella sticks as they sat around, talking and sipping on their sodas. They talked about the show some more, asked Castiel if he liked the pizza, talked about the weather, and discussed what might be next on their agenda. And then Liam worked up the courage to ask something that had been on his mind for a while.

“Um, so, uh, I was wondering…” Liam took a breath and tried to calm the racing of his heart. “I was—I was wondering—”

“Liam.” Sam smiled kindly, nothing but warmth in his hazel eyes. “It’s okay. Just say what you want to say.”

Liam took another breath and nodded, wetting his lips. “I, uh… I was wondering… if I could…” he winced preemptively, “…learn to shoot?”

Sam and Dean both stared for a moment, Dean recovering first.

“Of course you can.” Dean seemed to realize what he was saying as he was saying it, and he looked at Sam with an apologetic expression. “Sorry. Should’ve asked first.”

Sam didn’t say anything right away, and Liam felt his throat close up a little. Then Sam slowly opened his mouth, and Liam had no idea what to expect, because he couldn’t read Sam’s expression.

“Why do you… _want_ to learn to shoot?” Sam held out a hand in a placating gesture. “It’s okay, I’m not mad. I just want to know.”

Liam shrugged his shoulders and sank down in his seat a little. “I just think it’s cool, and…” he sank a little lower, “…and someday… maybe when I’m older… I’d kinda like…” his voice went down to a near whisper, “…to help you guys.”

Sam smiled softly. “Liam, it’s okay. I’m not upset or disappointed.”

Liam swallowed and watched Sam’s face, but he didn’t see any sign of dishonesty or anger.

Sam paused for a moment, and then he slowly started talking again. “I think it would be fine if you learned how to shoot. I just want to make sure you don’t feel like you _have_ to be a hunter just because _we_ are.”

Liam shook his head. “No, I just… I just think it’s really cool.” He fidgeted where he sat. “I like the idea of hunting monsters. Like I could be some kind of superhero.”

Sam smiled, sipping through his straw. “A superhero, huh?”

“Yeah.” Liam smiled faintly, still nervous about his request. “Don’t you think you guys are like superheroes?”

Sam and Dean exchanged a look, and then Dean shrugged.

“We’re just guys doing a job,” he said, reaching for a cup. “But I think it’s cool that _you_ think we’re like superheroes.”

Liam smiled. It made him happy when he made Sam and Dean happy, even if it was just a little bit.

“So.” Sam arched a brow, his lips turned up into a little grin. “What do you want to learn to shoot?”

Liam pursed his lips and thought about it for a moment. “I definitely want to learn to shoot a shotgun someday. But… maybe we could start with a pistol?”

Sam nodded his head a few times, and he really didn’t look mad, which made Liam breathe a little easier.

“We can start with a pistol,” Sam said. “Dean and I started with pistols.”

Liam smiled, kicking his legs slightly. “What kind of pistol are we gonna use?” He looked between Sam and Dean. “Like, a revolver, or an automatic, or a semi-automatic, or…?”

Dean’s eyebrows shot up. “Woah, listen to you.”

Liam gave a sheepish look. “I did some research.”

“You’ve been thinking about this for a while,” Sam commented. He gave Liam a reassuring smile and shook his head. “Lee, you _never_ have to be afraid to ask for something you want or need. If I need to say no, I’ll say it without yelling.”

Liam nodded feeling a subtle warmth spread through his chest. “Okay.”

Dean grinned devilishly. “And if you’re ever too scared to ask Sam, you can ask your super cool uncle who isn’t _nearly_ as stiff and un-fun.”

Liam laughed, and he felt a little more of the weight leave his shoulders.

Castiel turned his head to look at Liam and nodded seriously. “You can also come to me. I don’t really have a temper.” He looked at Sam and Dean then. “And I, too, would like to learn to shoot. I don’t know how long it will take for my grace to replenish, and until it does, I am effectively… ah…”

“Helpless?” Sam offered, smirking.

“A baby in a trench coat?” Dean said, grinning even wider.

Castiel scowled. “No. I am simply… limited in my number of fighting methods.”

“Uh-huh.” Dean rolled his eyes.

Liam reached over and patted Castiel on the back. “It’s okay, Castiel. You’re still my super-strong, super-awesome guardian angel.”

“That’s right.” Castiel leveled a glare at Sam and Dean and wrapped an arm around Liam, pulling him close. “ _I’m_ Liam’s guardian angel.”

Dean huffed out a laugh. “Well, thank goodness for that.”

Castiel kept glaring, but Liam smiled and snuggled in close. He knew Sam and Dean were still adjusting to Castiel’s presence, and they were struggling to trust him, but as far as Liam was concerned, Castiel was his best friend.

After all, Castiel was the one who had helped Liam with his nightmares. Castiel was the one who held him and rocked him and soothed him when he was upset. When Liam had scratched up his arms with the broken statue, Castiel had healed him and eased his symptoms and stayed by his side until he fell asleep. Sam and Dean didn’t know about those parts of Liam and Castiel’s time together.

“Oh, get off your high horse and eat your pizza,” Dean snapped, giving Castiel a dirty look Liam was pretty sure was fake.

Castiel grabbed the last slice of meat lovers pizza and took a large bite, glaring at Dean as he chewed emphatically.

Sam rolled his eyes and gave Liam a look like, ‘Can you believe them?’

Liam laughed and leaned into Castiel’s side, taking a big bite of his own pizza. He chewed contentedly, looking between Sam and Dean and Castiel with curious eyes.

Castiel just kept on chewing, his eyes slightly narrowed to show his displeasure with Dean. Dean kept looking at Castiel with a quirked brow and pursed lips, sipping on his soda and shaking his head at the angel. Sam rolled his eyes again and popped half of a mozzarella stick into his mouth, also shaking his head at Castiel.

Liam took another bite and smiled to himself, feeling completely at peace. He hadn’t been entirely sure of what to do when they were in the town influenced by War, but he had known he was out of his element. Sitting in a pizza shop and talking about guns with a Broadway show in their recent past… now, that felt right.

It felt perfect.

* * *

“Sam?”

Sam gasped for air, clutching his shirt and looking down at himself. _What was that?_ He looked to the right and saw Castiel sitting up in the bed he shared with Dean. “Castiel?” he uttered dumbly, still stuck in the nightmare that had woken him.

Castiel squinted in the dark, concern creasing his brow. “Sam, are you alright?”

Sam shook his head, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and getting to his feet. “Wake Dean.” He grabbed Dean by the shoulders even as he said it. “Dean,” he whispered harshly. “Dean!”

Dean startled, his eyes snapping open, and he instinctively grabbed onto Sam’s wrists. “Wha—?”

“Dean.” Sam gripped Dean’s shoulders, still struggling to catch his breath. “I just had a dream. Lucifer was in it.”

Dean stared at Sam for a moment, his expression twisted with confusion, and it seemed he was still trying to wake himself up. “Lucifer?”

Sam nodded, letting go of Dean’s shoulders and straightening up. “Yes. He said I was his vessel, but he needs my consent, just like Michael needs yours.”

Dean slowly sat up in bed, eyes squinting in the darkness. “What?”

Castiel, who had stood up and was standing next to the bed, idly stroked his chin. “It’s believable enough. Michael and Lucifer are brothers, so it makes sense that their vessels would be brothers, too.”

Dean ran a hand through his hair, and then he looked at Sam. “Did he say anything about knowing where you are or how to find you?”

Sam shook his head, and it was amazing how much he felt like a toddler running to his big brother for help with a nightmare. “No, he said he can’t find me.”

Dean nodded a few times. “Okay, so that means whatever Cas did to us is still working. Did he—”

“Where’s Liam?” Castiel asked suddenly.

Sam turned to the bed he had woken up in. “He’s right—” Sam came to an abrupt stop as he realized Liam wasn’t lying there, and the panic that seized him came fast and hard. “Liam?”

Thankfully, Sam’s fear only lasted for a second because he quickly realized the bathroom door was closed and the light was on.

“Liam?” Sam walked around the bed and approached the bathroom door, knocking lightly. “Liam, are you okay in there?”

“Yeah,” came a small, congested voice from the other side. “I couldn’t sleep, so I took a bath. I’m just drying off now.”

Sam nodded a few times and, after a moment of hesitation, backed away from the door a little. “Okay. Well, holler if you need anything.”

“Okay,” Liam said back.

Sam walked away from the door and sat down on the bed facing Dean and Castiel. “We have a little time to talk about it before Liam comes out,” he said, keeping his voice low. “What do we do?”

Dean took a deep breath and let it out slowly, shaking his head as the reality of the situation settled over him. “Sammy, I don’t think there’s anything we _can_ do. Not until we know more. We know he can’t find us, and we already decided to take a break from hunting.”

“But what if he keeps invading my dreams?” Sam argued, feeling a flicker of worry in his chest. “I can’t go without sleeping.”

Castiel reached up and rubbed the back of his head, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. “It might take me a little while, but I can look into some wards or spells that might keep intruders from getting into your dreams.”

Dean frowned. “What, like witchcraft?” He looked at Sam and then looked back at Castiel. “I don’t think introducing more supernatural mumbo-jumbo is the best idea.”

Castiel met Dean’s gaze unwaveringly. “We may not have a choice, Dean. Lucifer isn’t going to give up on possessing Sam, and we can’t allow Sam’s health to suffer until something is done to stop Lucifer.”

“I’m not saying I want Sam to suffer,” Dean defended. “I’m just saying, trying to put the supernatural on our side is what got us into this mess. It doesn’t seem like the best idea to try it again and hope for a different result.”

Castiel frowned and gestured to both brothers. “You didn’t object when I put Enochian sigils on your ribs. This would be almost the exact same thing.”

Sam held a hand out toward each of them, trying to calm the waters before things could escalate. “How about we play it safe and wait to see what happens? We don’t know for sure yet what Lucifer is going to do.”

Dean and Castiel exchanged a look, and then Dean pursed his lips with a shrug. “Sounds like an okay plan to me.”

Castiel looked at Sam, his arms hanging limply at his sides. “I can agree with that. But if he invades your dreams again, I am going to begin looking for the necessary ingredients for the wards I have in mind.”

Sam nodded a few times. “Okay, I can agree to that…” He opened his mouth to ask a question of Castiel, but he was cut off by the bathroom doorknob turning.

Liam stuck his head into the hotel room and looked between his three guardians, a wary light in his sky blue eyes. “Is it okay to come out now?”

Sam smiled warmly and patted the bed behind him. “Yup. We were just talking about some angel trouble. It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

Liam gave them all a suspicious look, but then his shoulders relaxed. He eased into the bedroom and crawled onto the bed he shared with Sam, sitting cross-legged and putting his hands on his knees. “Are there angels after us again?”

Sam wet his lips, debating just how much he wanted to tell Liam. On one hand, Liam was almost thirteen, and he could handle a lot more than most kids his age. On another hand, just because Liam _could_ handle it, that didn’t mean he should have been saddled with a problem he couldn’t do anything to fix.

Sam was still debating what to say when Castiel opened his mouth and, in true Castiel fashion, blurted out the truth as simply as he could.

“Even though Sam and Dean have decided to take a break from hunting, angels will still be looking for us. We must decide how we want to handle this situation.”

That actually wasn’t too terrible of an explanation, and Sam looked at Liam with a calm smile to reassure him.

Liam watched Sam’s smile for a moment, and then his eyes wandered over to Castiel. “So…” Liam looked back at Sam, his brow scrunched and his lips puckered. “How do we know when an angel is onto us?”

Sam pressed his lips together and turned his head to look at Dean and Castiel. “That’s… an excellent question. Guys?”

Dean shrugged his shoulders and looked at their resident angel. “Cas?”

Castiel stood very still, his expression thoughtful, and then his lips slowly started to move. “It has been a very long time, but I believe I could make charms that burn hot in the presence of angels.”

“Really? More magic?” Dean questioned.

“Like for a necklace?” Liam asked at the same time.

Castiel nodded his head a few times, and he seemed certain of himself. “Yes. It would take some time, and I may need some help, but… I believe I could do it.” He held his hands out in front of himself and looked at them. “It’s been a while since I tried to use my powers. Perhaps it is time.”

“Wait.” Sam held out a hand. “Aren’t we hidden from you, just like any other angel?”

Castiel nodded twice, dropping his hands to his sides again.

“Well.” Dean leaned back, bracing his arms on the mattress. “Time to add you to the family plan, Cas.”

Castiel blinked his wide, owlish eyes and stared in blank-faced confusion.

“We need to get you a phone,” Dean clarified.

“Ah.” Castiel nodded again. “I see.”

Sam moved toward the head of the bed and started situating himself so he was in a proper sleeping position. “For tonight, let’s just go back to sleep.”

Castiel walked back to his side of the bed he shared with Dean. “I wasn’t sleeping in the first place.” He laid down and interlocked his fingers, settling his hands on his stomach. “I think it’s a sign my powers are returning.”

Sam grabbed the blankets and started adjusting them while Liam crawled over and settled down on the mattress beside him. “Well, you could probably still use the rest.”

Castiel hummed in response, and he didn’t move from his somewhat stiff position on the bed.

Dean laid down on the mattress and pulled the blankets up to his chest before reaching out and nudging Castiel on the arm. “Come on, Cas. Get under the blanket and make yourself comfortable.”

“Oh.” Castiel sat up slightly and began wrestling with the blankets, trying to get the comforter pulled over his legs.

Sam couldn’t help but smile, wondering if Castiel knew just how awkward he was, and when Sam spared a glance at Liam, he found Liam was smiling, too.

_He really likes Castiel._

Exactly how that had come to be, Sam didn’t know, but he knew it was true. He could tell from the way they gravitated toward each other—from the way Liam would cling to Castiel’s arm and the way Castiel would hover over Liam’s shoulder. He could tell from the way they whispered back and forth during the Broadway show. He could tell from their closeness at the pizza shop. He could tell by the way one was always looking for the other.

 _“That’s right._ I’m _Liam’s guardian angel.”_

Sam wasn’t sure whether he was supposed to be grateful or not. After all, Castiel had been part of the plot to kidnap Liam, and Castiel had helped the angels keep Liam in captivity. But, then again, Castiel had also done what he could to keep Liam happy and safe, and it had been Castiel who had finally brought Liam home.

_“I don’t regret following orders, and I don’t wish it was different. Some angels do, but not me, not ever, not in seven thousand years.”_

At least, that was what Castiel said and what he showed them. He could have been lying. It could have all been a trap of some kind.

Sam let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead with his free hand.

“Sorzie?” Liam snuggled a little closer, resting his head on Sam’s chest. “You okay?”

“Mhm.” Sam draped his free arm over Liam, his other arm pinned by Liam’s body, and he planted a kiss on the top of Liam’s head. “Just tired.”

Liam squeezed Sam a little and let out a soft sigh of his own. “Okay. Just making sure.” He squeezed Sam again, and then he relaxed, his little body going limp as he began drifting off to sleep.

Sam glanced over at the bed Dean was sharing with Castiel, and he let his thoughts linger on the angel for another moment or two, but then he closed his eyes and decided it was time to get some sleep. Worrying about Castiel’s intentions wouldn’t do anything about them one way or the other. Sam would just have to keep a very close eye on the angel until he was certain Castiel could be trusted.

A very close eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's incredibly late and incredibly short, but between depression and writer's block, this is all I could manage to piece together. Hopefully, the next chapter will be longer and not take nearly as long to get written and posted. Hope you guys enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> I know a lot of you made suggestions about what should be in Season 5, and I wanted you all to know that just because you didn't see it in chapter 1, it doesn't mean I'm not doing it. Stick around, and you'll see your suggestions show up in other chapters!


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